1. Field of the Invention
Agricultural tractor vehicles generally. Specifically agricultural tractors of conventional layout having a first chamber enclosing the engine and a second chamber enclosing an ambient air corridor. Engine heat is evacuated from the engine enclosure by apertures providing venturi, convection and vacuum effects. Air flow is induced in the ambient air corridor by a fan which discharges the spent air out the front of the tractor.
Ancillary equipment is interposed in the air flow path throughout the ambient air conduit. Typically an air intake, an integral air cleaner and a variety and plurality of heat exchangers would reside in this second chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural tractor vehicles of contemporary ilk are equipped with front mounted heat exchangers ahead of an engine driven sucker fan. Air flow is drawn through the grille at the front of the vehicle, and then through the heat exchangers between the grille and the fan. Oftentimes more than just engine coolant radiators are placed in the air flow stream. The temperature of the air flow is increased substantially after passing through such heat exchangers. Nevertheless it is usually directed around the engine block before escaping out the bottom of the engine compartment. This problem is eliminated in the instant invention.
There are prior art engine enclosures that are designed to suppress the noise of the engine from the host vehicle. For instance there are motor bus patents, automobile patents and tractor vehicle patents that show enclosed engines.
A tractor vehicle having some but not all of the features of this invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,580 of Whitehurst, et al. This patent teaches the use of separate compartments for the engine and the heat exchanger where heat is drawn out of the engine and drive line section of the vehicle by a venturi effect exhaust pipe. Ambient air is drawn through the heat exchanger by a non-engine driven fan and is expelled out the front or grille portion of the vehicle. There are significant differences between this prior art tractor and the presented invention as will be pointed out.
A fan induced exhaust manifold draft plenum, where a front discharge fan draws air through a heat exchanger and also evacuates heated air from an exhaust manifold enclosing chamber, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,614 to Bentz. The primary distinction between this device and the instant invention is that in the instant invention the fan induces evacuation flow in a conduit emanating from a full enclosure surrounding the entire engine rather than just the exhaust manifold.
The instant invention incorporates specific enclosures, one for containing engine heat and the other for containing ambient air. The first enclosure is evacuated through the use of an exhaust system convection and venturi effect device and also by means of a conduit between the first enclosure and the zone between the radiator and the fan. The fan sucks the air through the radiator and discharges it out the front of the vehicle.